Kiltubrid Rhapsody lived up to Sir Mark Todd’s long-held belief today, riding to second place at the end of the dressage in the hotly-contested CCI4* field at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials.

The Kiwi combination sits on 23.4 penalty points, 2.6 off leader Oliver Townend (GBR) and Ballaghmor Class. Townend, who just last week won the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event is chasing the Rolex Grand Slam. If he completes his trio of wins from Burghley, Kentucky and Badminton, he will become just the third rider in history to do so. His 20.8 penalty point dressage score today is the best Badminton test in 18 years. The top 31 in the 78-strong field are all sub 30 penalty points thanks to the new scoring system which has removed the dressage multiplier.

Tim Price and Ringwood Sky Boy are the next best of the Kiwis, sitting in 14th place on 25.8, with his wife Jonelle in 22nd on Classic Moet, on 27.6, Todd and Leonidas II right behind her on 27.9, defending champ Andrew Nicholson and Nereo on 30.3, Caroline Powell on 34.1 aboard Up Up and Away and 35.5 with On the Brash, Dan Jocelyn and Dassett Cool Touch on 37, and first-timers Andy Daines aboard Spring Panorama on 40.3 and Virginia Thompson with Star Nouveau on 43.6.

Todd was rapt with his 11-year-old grey. “He is a lovely horse to ride,” he said. “I wasn’t particularly worried about the atmosphere in there with him . . . I thought it would probably help him, which it did. He is fairly new to this level but went through and did that test with very few mistakes so I was delighted. He is so laid back.”

Todd, who first competed at Badminton more than 30 years ago, is never one to sit on his laurels and says it is still very early days in the competition with tomorrow’s cross country front of mind for all.

“I would say there are quite a few fences that are tricky rather than bold,” he said, adding the horses will need to be quick on their feet and the riders needing to get their lines right.

Jonelle Price agrees. “There are plenty of places you can have a really silly mistake this year,” she said. “I wouldn’t have thought it is the biggest track we have seen here but there are lots of places if you didn’t have your wits about you that you could have a cheap 20.”

She’s happy to be on her “gem” Classic Moet. “She is so unspecial that she is so very special. She has a heart of gold and is so determined and courageous. I just have the utmost respect for her and I have had some of the best rides of my life on her cross country.” And she figured she’d still be saying that when she finally retired.

Caroline Powell will be the first out on the Eric Winter-designed cross country course this evening, and everyone will be watching closely to see how the ground holds up and how those fences ride.

RESULTS/START TIMES

CLICK HERE to view the full results and all start lists and times

NZ RIDERS START TIMES

Rider

UK Time

NZ Time

Caroline Powell & Up Up And Away

Sat 5th 11.30am

Sat 5th 10.30pm

Andrew Nicholson & Nereo

Sat 5th 11.42am

Sat 5th 10.42pm

Mark Todd & Leonidas

Sat 5th 11.50am

Sat 5th 10.50pm

Dan Jocelyn & Dassett Cool Touch

Sat 5th 12.18pm

Sat 5th 11.18pm

Andy Daines & Spring Panaorama

Sat 5th 1.02pm

Sun 6th 12.02am

Tim Price & Ringwood Sky Boy

Sat 5th 1.14pm

Sun 6th 12.14am

Ginny Thompson & Star Nouveau

Sat 5th 1.46pm

Sun 6th 12.46am

Jonelle Price & Classic Moet

Sat 5th 3.22pm

Sun 6th 2.22am

Mark Todd & Kiltubrid Rhapsody

Sat 5th 4.14pm

Sun 6th 3.14am

Caroline Powell & On The Brash

Sat 5th 4.22pm

Sun 6th 3.22am

TIMETABLE

Event

UK Time

NZ Time

Cross Country

Sat 5th May 11.30am – 5.00pm

Sat 5th 10.30pm – 4.00am

Jumping – First Part

Sun 6th May 11.30am

Sun 6th 10.30pm

Jumping – Top 20

Sun 6th May  2.45pm

Mon 7th 1.45am 

TV COVERAGE

CLICK HERE to watch all the coverage FREE via Badminton TV including the First Horse Inspection

 

By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison

Photos by Libby Law/ESNZ